Google Translate Apps

Google first added handwriting support to its Translate app on Android in January 2012.

HOW TO USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE'S HANDWRITING TOOL

• If a language can be translated using handwriting, a symbol will appear in the bottom right of the input box that looks like a squiggle.

• Text input is set as default, but pressing the squiggle opens up a virtual notepad that users can draw and write on.

• To make the handwriting box bigger or smaller, touch and hold the drag icon and drag it up or down on the screen. 

• Google reads these symbols, converts them to text, and offers a translation.

• Users need to select the languages they want to translate from and to.

• There is additionally the option to translate via photo or voice.

In July, this tool was added to the Google Translate homepage, and in September 2013 it was added to the iPhone and iPad app. 

This brings the total number of supported handwritten languages to 58, although Google can translate a total of 80 languages using text, photo and voice input. 

Visiting a country when you don’t speak the language is tricky enough, let alone when that country uses a different alphabet. 

To tackle this problem, Google has updated its Translate app to recognise handwriting written in 13 new languages including  

• Arabic
• Bosnian
• Cebuano
• Gujarati
• Hmong
• Kannada
• Maltese
• Mongolian
• Persian
• Punjabi
• Somali
• Tamil and 
• Telugu.

People visiting other countries can use the update to translate phrases into another language, or they can write the symbols they see on signs and menus, for example, to see an automatic translation.